Doctor title, Nurse title

PiPhi2004 · Jul 29, 2008

The first time I worked on my unit I called all the Doctors Dr so-and so. They quickly told me to stop!!! I call our docs by their first name unless I am talking about them to a family member "Dr. Smith will be in in a few minutes to see you." I really like that and I feel like we have a good team atmosphere.

stillpressingon · Jul 29, 2008

I don't know that it perpetuates anything. I've worked with god-complex docs who insist on their first name and incredibly humble docs who prefer "Dr So-and-so." I think if someone has a god-complex, calling them Dr or not isn't really gonna influence their superiority complex too much; there's way more to it than "just" a title

pegbord · Jul 29, 2008

PiPhi2004 - it sounds like a good sense of team work that your unit operates with. It is not the same in the unit where I work. Doctors are called Dr. and everyone else is called by their first name. Since I am so new there, I think it is a good opportunity to determine either being addressed formally by the physicians if they prefer that I address them formally - or being addressed informally if this is how they prefer that I address them. I just really don't want to come across as rude.

One of the problems is that our ID badges use first name for employees other than physicians, their name tags are Dr. so-and-so.

pegbord · Jul 29, 2008

Stillpressingon, you make a good point. Arrogance can be displayed whether or not a title is in place. Still, the English language uses guidelines for formal and informal communication. I don't like feeling expected to use formal communication with someone who doesn't show me the same respect. . . it is inconsistent and feels demeaning to me.

(Think about if the reverse were true. What if we used first names for docs and then addressed nurses formally. It almost brings a chuckle for the absurdity of it ---- yet we readily accept the reverse.)

ADPIE10 · Jul 29, 2008

Based upon information from your profile regarding your age, status (nursing student), and your communication competency, I'm guessing that this is your second career and that you've enjoyed previous success.

If you are anything like myself, you have a high self-esteem and are competitive. I personally share your feelings regarding titles. You may also notice a difference in uniforms, etc?

Titles can be used to avoid role confusion. I'm less concerned with the "Doctor" title and more concerned with the absence of nurses using a title designation. Patients are often confused between the roles of RNs, LPNs, and CNAs. Heck, even nurses are confused between the roles. I've even seen patients addressing housekeeping as if they were nurses.

I have observed that many current nursing students have a different personality profile from that of the existing nursing profession. I'm sure that views such as yours will spark meaningful dialogue that will help the nursing profession improve and evolve.

Nightcrawler, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2008

Does anybody here feel like I do regarding calling nurses by their first names and doctors are called Dr. so-and-so?
I think this adds to the god-complex that physicians sometimes have which nurses and other hospital employees help perpetuate.
I don't like calling the physician by Dr. so-and-so while he or she calls me Peggy. I've discussed this with other nurses and they don't really seem to have any problem with it. Why is it acceptable for us to use formal address when talking with physicians and they use informal when addressing us? Why aren't we called Nurse so-and-so in order to receive the same level of formal address that physicians get?
I recently started a new job at a hospital that prides itself in not perpetuating the physician-god-complex, however, physicians are very much addressed using the formal while they don't extend the same respect to those with whom they work. When introducing myself to one of the physicians, I asked him how he wanted me to address him and he replied, "Dr. (blank)." I said is this only in front of patients or all the time. He looked at me with a bit of a question and responded with, "Well, really only in front of patients. My name is David and that is what you can call me." I smiled, shook his hand and told him my fist name. Would it have been rude for me to smile, shake his hand and ask him to call me Nurse (blank) had he requested that I always address him as Dr. (blank)?

I have felt this way for quite a while. I find that it is interesting that most of the nurses that I talk to are so adamantly against wearing their last name on their badges- going as far as to blank it out with tape in order to prevent stalker patients. Don't doctors have this problem? You don't see doctors introducing themselves by their first names for security reasons. I haven't gone as far as actually attempting to change the culture myself, although I did once work with a nurse that introduced himself over the phone as Nurse_____

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jul 29, 2008

I know nurses with doctoral degrees who are addressed as Dr ________ all the time.

To me, Nurse __________ creates unpleasant mental images of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Great movie, but not a great time in regard to public perception of professional nursing.

GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN · Jul 29, 2008

WHere I work all nurses and MD's are on a first name basis. I always refer to the MD as Doctor_______ in front of the patient. I usually address the attendings as Dr____, unless i worked with them previously as a resident, then the first name sticks.

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · Jul 29, 2008

Several yrs ago I worked at a hospital that the biggest majority of the Docs wanted you to call them by their first names. It was also a teaching hospital so we had a lot of interns and residents. When I worked in the ER I always used first names with the interns and residents Also all the attendings in the ER. One night I called one resident by his first name and he whiped around and started screaming at me that I was always to refer to him as Dr. soandso, I earned the right to be addressed as such. It didn't phase me abit, I just said whatever and moved on. Five minutes later he called me by my first name. I just happened to be sitting next to the ER attending (I had known him since he was a medical student.) I stood up and walked over to the resident and told him "Don't you ever call me by my first name. You don't know me well enough. You can call me Mrs. Bigmouth or even better Nurse Bigmouth. I am far older than you and deserve to have you call me Mrs or Nurse out of respect." My buddy ER Doc started laughing so hard he fell over backwards in his chair. From that day on they started calling me Nurse Bigmouth. BTW that clown resident was dropped from his emergency residency due to so many med errors and screwed up attitude towards patients

RNperdiem, RN · Jul 29, 2008

The nurses all go by first names where I work.

I think calling everyone "Nurse Somebody" would elicit snickers and giggles-not bad for morale to have a good laugh.

I prefer doctors by last name because I work at a large teaching hospital with hundreds of doctors. Last names are more unique and easier for me to remember. Residents are a constantly changing crew who rotate through my unit.

Otessa, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2008

Personally, I don't want to be called "Nurse Smith". Too formal for me. Most doctors have unlisted phone numbers-not as many nurses do. We are not able to have our last names on our name badges-there have been incidents where patients or family members have tracked down a nurse at their home or sent letters that were inappropriate prior to the not having last names. It truly is a safety concern to have our last names mentioned or put on badges.

otessa